Sekai Project are conducting a survey to gauge interest in the localization of games from Visual Art’s’ Key label.

The survey can be taken here, and asks which games you’d like to see brought over, what other publishers you’re interested in, and other related questions.

When we asked Sekai Project to comment on whether or not Key were taking a personal interest in the survey, we were informed that Sekai were conducting the survey more for personal research, and so they could present their findings to Key.

Oh man I’d reeeeally love to play official versions of some of keys games, I thought it would never happen. I will buy like everything they make if it comes over ♥

They even listed Angel Beats!!!

SupaPhly

Didn’t Key once famously ask for a really high price?
(Planetarian is a much smaller VN, which is why it was brought over easily)

btw, I love Rewrite and I hope it never gets an anime adaption :P

Anewme…Again

Yes, but a lot of things have changed, visual novel have a lot more exposure nowaday then a few years ago by being released on steam and mobiles.
So maybe now, they would be willing to do it for less.

nonscpo

Id personally love it if more visual novels were released digitally on tablets, it just seems to me that portables make the best platforms for VN’s.

Firion Hope

Yeah tablets always seemd like the perfect platform for them to me. Would also like them on handhelds but Android would be perfect.

nonscpo

Agreed I would love it if more and more visual novels were available for more OS’s especially tablets. As it stands right now the only distribution site Im aware of is mangagamer, and most of their games are for window platform only :(

Armane

Not only that, but their properties might bring in less from licensing deals domestically compared with the past, and foreign licensing deals are probably more competitive than in the past where companies wanted to own the property outright.

nonscpo

Already filled out the survey, when they asked what other Visual Novels we’d like localized I didnt have to think twice; I asked for “Aiyoku no Eustia” or “Eustia of the Tarnished Wings”. Hopefully well get Eustia and Clannad localized for the Vita, cant wait for “World End Economica” and “Fault Milestone One” to make their Vita debut next year too :D

MrTyrant

Good taste man. Aiyoku no Eustia is a great visual novel and I felt depresed when the translation was descontinued. I found the novel interesting, a realistic aproach to the medieval fantasy genre that is lacking nowadays since most vn devs just go to the nukige or RPG route when is about a medieval setting.

nonscpo

Thanks I can only hope that enough people filled out that block asking for it, hopefully Sekai Project sees the demand and bring its over. After I read the news here on Siliconera that the game was getting a VITA port I got my hopes up that their would be a chance of it making it over here. Nothing would make me happier than playing that game on my vita. For now I’ll just have to keep my eye on Fault Milestone One coming out next year for my portable, I was a kickstarter backer ;)

TheBeefBus

What are the odds that we would see something for the vita? I personally think it’s perfect for VNs.

Light Soul

Just finished filling out my survey. Hope Visual Arts will take notice of them.

Brotato Chip

would be awesome if they can collaborate with type-moon or Age

Anewme…Again

Maybe someday, but i think starting with Key is the best idea since Key is probably the most known visual novel developer in the west.
Almost everyone who have played a visual novel before know about at least 1 Key visual novel and even lot of peoples who watch anime know at least one anime based on a Key visual novel.

Also Key usually make all age visual novel and only release 18+ visual novel at a later date, so if Sekai decide to release the all age version in the west, peoples wouldn’t have any reason the complain about censoring, since there wasn’t any sex scenes to begin with.

Brotato Chip

oh yeah def not complaining about them starting with Key, but I threw in those 2 companies in the “other company’s games” part

I tossed my two cents in for Baldr (official English releases of Giga titles period actually), Full Metal Daemon Murasama and the second Demonbane game.

Jast sure as hell ain’t doing the later two despite having the licenses for years and Baldr’s stuck in indefinite delays when it comes to the fan trans.

Wouldn’t mind seeing agê titles either, if only for more people to suffer the same fate I did when it came to KGNE.

Guest

In the Survey, no.5 says, “What other company’s games do you want to see released in the West”?

… are they implying that they do, or would be open to doing, localization work for other publishers? Like, say, for everyone who wants to see western versions of Shining Resonance or Lost Dimension or something?

DesmaX

They should be talking about ther VN developers. I don’t think they’re a licensed console publisher.

MrTyrant

Visual novels are considered games in japan contrary of the on going discussion on this side of the world so when they ask you which company they are asking you which visual novel developer would you like.

It would be so great if this spurned localization of visual novels en masse. Of course, this is just me being rather hopeful.

DesmaX

Well, good luck for the team.

WikiSonic

If Sekai Project can get Key titles released in the West they will have all of my support (and, more importantly, my money).

Shippoyasha

Not meaning to infringe copyrights here…

Just Do It.

Revolver Jesus Super Pimp

Didn’t even have the read the whole thing, my full support is given.

Alexandra Cordes

How wonderful would this be? I already bought Planetarian for iOS, even though I already read it, just to support Key.
I will do that for everything, Key. EVERYTHING.
Only problem I can see with this is like what happened with Nitro+ games being localized: they take forever and we could have had several fan translations for the unreleased by now. I miss you, Nitro+. ;_;
Also hoping the Little Busters EX translation finishes before they decide to localize their stuff IF they do. I’ve been waiting to read LB for years just so I can have the full experience with three extra routes.

Wait, I rambled. Tangent. Point is, I am ALL FOR THIS HAPPENING.

MrTyrant

I added a bunch of other visual novels devs. From Key I just chose Rewrite and Angel beats.

I’ll be really happy if this survey is an indication that bringing these titles over is possible. I’ve always felt Key titles would be great for getting the medium to spread more over here (Heck look at how highly the Clannad anime is regarded over here)

I am a bit skeptical though. Key is a pretty high bar that other VN localization companies have said “We don’t make nearly enough money to acquire or to even break even with one of these titles”

but fingers crossed.

shuyai

i am happy for it but all Key title is fan translated already so unless you use the fan translation i dont think it is financially wise to release old Key title unless it is for the new Angel beat game.

If anything i hope they bring Propeller’s game like Evolimit and Tokyo Babel, they are amazing and also Nitroplus(jastus is useless)

nonscpo

That may be but you have to take into account that their are some people who’ve never played those games for whatetever reason. Also from what Ive seen from Kickstarter the western visual novel fans are hungry and willing to put there money where their mouth is. So it may very well be worth the effort.

The way I see it: They want to target Key releases because not only are they highly regarded, but they have pretty popular animes. By releasing them officially in English, they can drum up more outside interest and expand the current VN community. If they could manage to expand the vn community, it could make other future titles (like the ones you suggested) more of a possibility.

I mean, imagine if even a quarter of the people who loved the Clannad anime bought the VN when it appeared on steam.

ZekeFreek

They could do things like;
1) New games going forward
2) Console ports of older VNs
3) Versions of games that don’t yet have complete fan-patches (Such as Little Busters Memorial/Ecstacy Edition)

Stranger On The Road

Questions that should have been in the survey but weren’t:

1) would you be interested in games that are based on known animes (ex. Nisekoi or To Love-ru or Sora no Otoshimono)?

2) will you be willing to pay for a translation DLC for an imported console game?

1) Sekai already has to deal with the VN developers, you think they want to deal with anime studios and/or the original creator? I’m not too sure if Sekai even has the money to license anime-based games.

2) IDT any company has ever done translation DLC, because it forces fans to import copies (which are more expensive than retail in US/EU), which not all fans are prepared to do.

3) Isn’t this whole thing based on localizing KEY games? KEY only makes VNs so you seem to be missing the point of the survey

Wilder

“KEY only makes VNs”

You should really double check that statement.

Stranger On The Road

Fare enough, but that is your opinion. It is a survey, it is the judge the opinions of the consumers; so why not ask everyone about what they think? The answers to the survey might affect their future plans, not their current ones.

As for your last answer; unless you skipped the 5th question then I believe that I didn’t miss the point of the survey. Along with asking about the company, I think they should have asked about the type of game/VN we are interested in.

Its a survey my friend; keep that in mind.

P.S. as far as I know, games that are based on anime don’t sell that well; well, not as well as VNs. This might be a factor to keep in mind.

Zak Ledward

I apologize, I automatically assumed Sekai Project to be only a small-scale Fan-Translation group, but that seems to be incorrect. If Sekai Project is enough to speak with KEY and whatnot, I don’t see a reason not to believe that they could begin projects that involve multiple parties.

I did see the 5th question, and thinking back it makes me regret pushing that point, again, I apologize. Also looking at Sekai Projects previous works, they have done some non-VN games, so them branching into RPG-genre games isn’t unfound nor impossible.

Well, Anime-based games have multiple factors that bring out their sales result. 1) Popularity of Anime 2) Popularity of Developer 3) Advertisement 4) Availability 5) Genre. There are many Animes that are utterly amazing, but their games don’t sell well because one of the other factors pulls it down. An anime-based game isn’t doomed to fail, but the sales rely on a lot more factors than an original VN does.

Göran Isacson

I do hope this works out well- more visual novels being translated and finding themselves onto digital distribution here in the west is always a good thing.

Wilder

Any localized KEY product is an auto pre-order from me, I don’t care who does it.

Guardian Byakko

Took the survey for Angel Beats visual novel

Lucius

Picking up new titles isn’t bad, but since they are still a small group, they should finish their current projects first.

Linkmstr

Took my survey, checked all of the boxes (except N/A), added in a couple of visual novels that I wanted to be localized, etc.
I’m sure everyone else did the same thing. Notice us, KEY-senpai!

Ren Yuumei

OH GOD PLEASE!

Bryce Ward

There was an “Other” option under gender? What the H***?

Guimu

Welp, I just spammed “Rance” in the “Other company’s games you want”

_buchu

If Key’s games were officially brought over in English I would cry the most manliest of tears while falcon punching into the sunset.

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